Sometimes I feel like everything is conspiring against me...I was checking out Gabrielle's blog and there was a discussion again about if everyone is an artist. I certainly do not feel that way and brought the subject up a while ago. However, when I tried to respond on the blog it wanted by user name and password and I'll be darned if the info I keep in my little password bookie thing would not work...oh well...here's what I was going to say:
I can't agree with you more Gabrielle! Everyone has the potential to be creative and I like to help people discover that. It does not mean, however, that they are artistic or artists. And, as you said, there is good art and then there is....whatever.
This all harkens to the belief that we are all equal in everything we do. I sure can't dance very well and I really don't think lots of instruction and practice would made a difference or make me an artist. I do enjoy moving to the music in my own way but not out in public where I would embarrass myself!
Some of our creativity needs to be kept private and some of our forms of creativity are great to share with the world.
But, not every one is an artist!
anyway...I have been really busy! Have almost finished the ten quilts I said I was going to do a long time ago (gee,only three weeks ago?), got postcards off to Carol Logan Newbill for fundraising on the Art2Mail site, have figured out a way to mount some of my smaller pieces on a background layer quilt for greater presence, got three show applications sent in, didn't get in to the SAQA at NOHO show (they only took 12 pieces out of the over 500 entered--bad odds), got through the first round of acceptance for the 12th biennial Artist as Quiltmaker (now have to send the piece in for further jurying...I've never done this before so don't know how my chances are...do most of them get accepted in?), send 10 more postcards to Houston for the American Cancer fundraiser (but still have to get my "special" one done for the auction), and I don't know what else I have been doing...but time sure is flying!
Hope to post some pictures of three brand new pieces tomorrow...larger than small but smaller than medium...
I am still thinking about the creativity thing. I firmly believe that our creativity is a gift from God and that we are responsible for finding it and using it. However, I don't believe that creativity is always in the form of art. It can be in how one does their job, how they parent their children, how they build bridges, etc. I give some workshops for my church on finding your creativity but mostly I help adults to allow themselves to play with paints and papers and collages and stuff without worrying about whether they are making art. Then they can relax, let the inner critic go away, and just enjoy themselves. One woman is having so much fun just putting paint on pages of her journal and then writing in it...she's being creative but she sure isn't an artist!
5 comments:
I agree with you Liz, most of us can cook that doesn't make us brilliant chefs,
being creative comes in many forms and can be achived by most,
being an Artist takes creativity to a higher level and is a gift to the few,
I especially agree with the comment: "This all harkens to the belief that we are all equal in everything we do."
In this atmosphere, semantics is important. What you call yourself and what you appreciate as art may not be generally acknowleged. The "art" that some people enjoy, may not be "art" in my book. We are not all equal and, just like the situation where everyone makes the team, when you are out on the field, the differences are apparent. Still, for some people, the title is more important than the product.
Sincerely,
A journeyman in the field of quilts
Remember the woman in Niki Bonnet's class who when she was introduucing herself said with great confidence, "I'm an artist!" I don't remember that she was that gifted, but I think her confidence probably got her in doors that I will never get in because I need someone else to validate that I am an artist. Sometimes huzpa (sp?) trumps talent!!
Liz, Thank you for getting the point of the post. I would never deny that we all have some creatie ability...personally I think computer programmers are some of the creative people I kno...but they aren't artist.
Your comment " This all harkens to the belief that we are all equal in everyting we do" is especially meaningful. In today's society, I see a neurosis that we all be something important....what pressure...some of us are just human beings not human doings. Finally, I agree with Frances that there is a different level...one that requires discipline and hard work.
Lately some blogs I go to have a kind of spam protect - you have to type in random numbers and letters that appear below your password. In Firefox, they don't show up so for a long time I couldn't figure it out. But they do show up in Explorer. Maybe that's what happened to you.
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